A Kaleidoscope of Kindness – Week Three Update

This week, in the act of looking for ways to express kindness, I began to notice how many times I was on the receiving end of someone else’s generosity and thoughtfulness. By the end of the week I felt as though I was experiencing a kaleidoscope of kindness. I had somehow rotated the dial on life to reveal a beautiful pattern of actions and, with each turn, a dazzling new connection was emerging.

As brilliant as it was though, it also made me wonder why I hadn’t noticed this before.

The answer, I realised, is that it’s easy to become caught in the humdrum of life, to focus on the downside, to be drawn into a vortex of negativity. Just as it is to become desensitised to the complexities of the world we inhabit and the role we all play in how it turns out.

Our level of information connectivity, courtesy of the technological advances we continue to make, is both a blessing and a curse. Every day the woes of the world are streamed directly into our lounge-rooms, our workplaces, and now, with the internet in our pocket, onto public transport, into waiting rooms, shopping lines, school pick-up… And there is every chance that, depending on what we choose to tune into, the messages we are receiving are disproportionately negative, focussed on what’s wrong with the world, selling us images of insurmountable problems. I know that often, by the time the networks finish their thirty minutes at five with that single good news story, my heart is bruised and, dare I admit it, closed.

But looking around me this week, I had reason to challenge that balance. Yes, terrible things happen in the world, every day, but there are also amazing acts of love, compassion, self-sacrifice, courage – kindness. And I am a part of that – both the giving and the receiving.

Sometimes we just need to turn the dial and change our perspective.

I also wondered if in my haste to get through the day I wasn’t missing out on the million acts, both small and large, of selflessness directed towards me? It was possible, of course, that I had changed the energy surrounding me through my own actions and conscious kindness in the past three weeks, but more likely, this was as it had always been. Kindness in waiting. As though to reinforce the possible truth in that, this thought was then followed by three acts of kindness within the space of ten minutes.

Was my life changed by any of those acts of kindness, or all the others I have experienced? I’d like to think so. Even if it’s not possible to see how every twist and turn, every possible path I could take in a single day, or every person I encountered could irrevocably alter my life (and me their’s), I know that every time someone committed to kindness, I felt uplifted, connected, loved. And in a week of hard news, tough times and big changes, it made everything else a little easier.

I believe that we are all connected, a part of the same energy and, in as much, constantly bumping up against each other regardless of whether we are in the same time and place. So safe to say, when that does happen, I hope it’s in that wonderful kaleidoscope of kindness.

Good point, Janet. 👌
By focusing on glass half full (or however you want to view life) we can better put out antennae that are sensitive to kind, loving or generous acts – with our partners and family at home, in the workplace, with friends or even online. Even pets!

I have been looking forward to Fluffy’s thoughtful and deep self examination posts.

Thanks for this gift of generosity of time and thought.

It has had its effect even if you haven’t seen all of the evidence!

Keep up the acts of kindness.
It gets easier, in my experience, so keep practicing kindness and loving acts, in their infinite forms.

I know it’s working and it has affected many of us and people we have opened out hearts to. 😂💟💐

It’s easy to focus on the negative – the disrupted night’s sleep thanks to toddler nightmares, the pushy people on public transport, the rain shower just when you need to hang out washing – and forget all the wonderful things that go right for us every day.

Stopping and noticing the little kindnesses makes such a difference – thanks for the reminder!

I’m so glad this post has resonated! PS – I have a thing about rain showers – I stop what ever I am doing and rush out to look up at the sky, knowing it’s the best time to see rainbows. For me it’s my dad looking down at me, but also a reminder that sometimes you need a little bad weather to appreciate all the beauty (and kindness) around you. xxx

That’s so sweet, Fluffy.
I’m guessing you *might* feel an air pressure drop, the distinctive cooling smell of the first drops, a soft sound of some pattering.
Plus raindrops on the harbour. Then look out for your Dad’s messages. 😇

Yep I’m jealous of that waterside spot! Raindrops and rainbows on the water and over the city. Very niiice! 😂😂👌

I’ve stopped watching the evening news as there never seems to be any good news stories. I feel like is too short to be surrounded by negativity. I love hearing about acts of kindness and feel that no matter how busy we are, we can all be kind to each other. Lovely to hear you’ve been on the receiving end of acts of kindness 🙂 #IBOT

I have noticed this too. We are right in the middle of moving house today and my friends & neighbours have been so very kind to me helping out and bringing coffee etc. I really believe that if you put it out there you will receive it back too. I’m glad you are getting some kindness in your life. x

Oh yes, sometimes it’s about noticing the kindness around us isn’t it? I live quite a solitary life but am often surprised at the generosity of spirit via friends online or even virtual friends. Sometimes a kind word is all you need.

I think what you focus on, you become sensitve to, so kindness is going to be more obvious.
It’s a good lesson though isn’t it; if we look for it, and attempt to practice it, we will see more of it. I need to take that on board for myself.

This reminds me of the song “Love is like a magic penny” where it says “love is something if you give it away… you end up having more.” I think kindness is like that too. Sometimes it’s hard to see the good stuff amind the white noise of negativity in the media, but there’s so much kindness out there, we just have to “tune in.” Here’s to kindness and lots more of it!